Railway-signal.



E. JENNINGS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 21, 1009.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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E. JENNINGS.

RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

EDWARD JENNINGS, 0F WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 25, 1913,

Application filed June 21, 1909. Serial No. 503,344.

To all whom it may concern Be it. known that I, EDWARD JENNINGS, citizen Off the United States, residing at \Vindsor, county of Essex, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway-Signals, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which -term a part of this specification.

This lnventlon relates to slgnals for railways.

It has for its object a block signal system in which the first car entering the block sets a signal or series of signals along the block which continue in indicating condition until the car runs out of the block. A car running into the block from the opposite direc tion passes the signal releasing device without changing the signals from the indicating condition to which they have been set or brought by the first car that ran into the block.

In the drawings :Figure 1, indicates diagrammatically the mechanism of a block controlled by signals. Fig. 2, is a detail of the signal-setting mechanism actuated by the car. Fig. 3, is an enlarged detail of the primary actuating bar.

The railway track is indicated at 1.

The setting lever is indicated at 2. The setting lever 2 consists of a rail mounted on pivots in bearings 3 and 4. The rail 2 curves at that end which lies toward the car which is to actuate it (a car traveling in the direction of the arrow A) and the extreme end 21 lies so far removed from the main rail of the track 1 that the flange of the ear wheel can readily enter between the rail 2 and the main rail. At the bearing 3 the pivot passes through a slotted bearing in which it can either roll andturn on its long axis or swing under the spreading force of the flange of the car wheel to allow the car flange to pass between the two rails. A car coming in the opposite direction moving in the direction indicated by the arrow B moves over the surface of the rail 2 and rolls the rail 2 on its axis to allow the ear to pass but does not swing it on the bearing 4. A car moving in the direction of the arrow A swings the rail 2 and actuates an electrical contact arm 5 bringing it into an engagement with the electrical terminal 6. In Fig. 1 this is shown in diagram and in F ig. 2 the detail of linkages by means of which the motion is changed from horizontal to vertical direction intermediate the car track and the electrical contact switch is shown.

Near the middle of the rail 2 and underneath the horizontal web 25 pivotally supported a hanger 26; the lower end of this hanger 26 is connected by a link 27 (which may be provided with means for adjustment of its length) to an angled lever 28, which actuates the switch arm 5.

The closing of the electric switch which is effected by bringing the contacting arm 5 into engagement with the terminal 6 closes a circuit through a source of electrical energy I), which circuit may be traced through the circuit wires (31, the coil surrounding the magnet 7, the circuit wires 62, the circuit wire (33, the track rail and the contact arm 5; in this circuit is a magnet 7 which is energized by the electric current traversing the circuit and which actuates the armature S; the armature S is a part of a second circuit traced as followsz the armature 8, line wire 92, auxiliary source of energy S, a line wire L in which are the signals, terminal 13, solenoid head 12, terminal 14,.line wire 15, main trolley wire, the power plant, the track rail, line wire 63, the coil surrounding the magnet 10, the post 95 and the wire leading from the magnet to the post, the wire 91 and terminal 9, a complete circuit which is closed when the armature 8 is actuated to bring it into contact with the terminal 9. \Vhen this circuit is closed the signals along the line wire L are all set to indicating position. As soon as the car progresses enough along the track to release the contact arm 5 this circuit will open and the signals would come to a non-indieating position but for the next circuit, which is to be described. The electric current through the circuit last described energizes the magnet 10, and closes the armature 11 which closes another circuit passing through the signal line L, which last circuit remains closed after the car passes oil from the setting lever 2 and after the contact arm 5 disengages from the terminal (3; the third circuit brought into action is traced through armature 11 which brings the plate 96, fixed to this armature, into contact with the posts 94 and 95, bridging them and closing the circuit from the line L, through the auxiliary source of energy S, through the line 93, the post 9 1, the plate 96, the armature 11 and the wire 98 to the wire 63, the rail, the power plant, the trolley wire, line 15, terminal 14, solenoid head 12, terminal 13, and thence to the signal wire L. Included in this circuit is a shunt circuit which leads from the post 94, through the plate 96, the post 95, the connecting wire to the coil about the magnet 10, and thence to the grounding wire 63. This shunt circuit serves to energize the magnet 10 when the third circuit has been closed by the action of the armature 11, and the amount of current carried therethrough is controlled by the resistance of said shunt circuit. The third circuit remains closed notwithstanding the break between the contact arm 5 and the terminal 6 and continues to remain closed until the solenoid head 12 is lifted and the circuit broken by the operation of the car on the lever 22 when it passes out of the block. The battery S is a storage battery included in both the second and the third circuits, although not necessarily in the second circuit. This battery is charged by the passage of the current therethrough and serves as an auxiliary source of current should for any reason the current from the trolley wire give out, thus keeping the third circuit closed. This battery is not necessary, but is a very useful precaution against failure of the current for any reason. Thus the train in passing actuates the first armature 8 which is utilized as a switch to complete the secondary circuit and the completion of the secondary circuit actuates the second armature 11 which is also utilized as a switch and completes the circuit which holds this second armature in position to close the signaling circuit, although the first armature has left its contact position and the second armature only leaves its contact position when the circuit which holds it in place is broken by the passage of the train over a distant circuit-breaking device 32. The breaking of the circuit through the terminals 5 and 6 incident to the return of the rail 2 to its normal position after the car has passed, when it denergizes the magnet 7 does not denergize the magnet 10, which remains under the influence of the current passing through a coil 10 until the solenoid foot 12 has been lifted and the current broken between the terminals 13 and 14. This is done by the shifting of the bar 22 when the car passing in the direction of the arrow A passes out of the block. l/Vhen the car passes out of the block the bar 22 is swung, the terminals 23 and 24: brought into electrical contact complete the circuit through the solenoid core 25. This circuit is traced through the switch 23, the electrodes 24:, the wire leading therefrom and coiled about the core 25 through the electrode 14, the wire 15 to the main trolley, then through the car to the track and the connecting apparatus from the track to the switch 23. This lifts the solenoid core and the solenoid foot 12, breaks the signal cir- 'cuit and at once dee'nergizes the magnet 10,

releases the armature 11, and the signaling apparatus is now in theposition to indicate that the car which set the signals has passed out of the block and that the block is empty, at least empty of cars going in the direction of the arrow A. Of course, a complete block requires that a second system of signals to indicate the presence of cars going in the direction of the arrow B be installed, but this is an entirely independent system, although it may be exactly similar in construction, the features of this invention being that -a car running onto the block in the direction of the arrow A will set a system of signals along the entire block which cannot be unset or brought back to their safety position either by a following car or by a meeting car and can only be unset or brought back to normal condition when this car has passed out of the block going in its normal direction. It will not unset the signals even if it backs off from the block.

What I claim is 1. In a signal system, the combination of a trolley wire, a source of electromotive force, a pair of rails serving for traction and also as return conductors to complete the circuit through the trolley and the source of electromotive force, a conductor tapping the trolley wire and provided with two gaps and leading to one of the rails, signals in electrical connection with said conductor, a solenoid footnormally bridging one of the gaps, a connector bar adapted to bridge the other gap, but ordinarily out of contact with the conductor terminals, the said conductor being coiled at a portion that is adjacent the connector bar so as to afford a magnet for closing the connector bar across the gap, a shunt conductor leading around the gap closed by the connector bar and returning to the main conductor between the last men tioned gap and the coiled portion of the main conductor, said shunt conductor having a gap, means including a track instrument temporarily operated by a passing train. for closing said gap, a conductor leading from the trolley wire and having a solenoid coil adapted to operate the solenoid foot and means including a'track instrument temporarily operated by the train passing out of the block for connecting said last named conductor with a rail and energizing the solenoid to lift the solenoid foot, substantially as described.

2. In a signal system, the combination of a trolley wire, a source of electromotive force, a pair of rails serving for traction and also as return conductors to complete the circuit through the trolley and the source of electromotive force, a conductor tapping the trolley wire and provided with two gaps and leading to one of the rails, signals in electrical connection with said conductor, a solenoid foot normally bridging one of the gaps, a connector bar adapted to bridge the other gap, but ordinarily out of contact with the conductor terminals, the said conductor being coiled at a portion that is adjacent the connector bar so as to aii'ord a magnet for closing the connector bar across the gap, a shunt conductor leading around the gap closed by the connector bar and returning to the main conductor between the last mentioned gap and the coiled portion of the main conductor, said shunt conductor having a gap, a connector bar for said gap, a battery and a conductor tapping the first mentioned conductor and having a coil portion to attract the last named connector bar and close the gap in the shunt conductor, a switch arm connecting the battery conductor with the track and adapted to be temporarily closed by a passing train so as to close the circuit through the battery, a conductor leading from the trolley wire and having a solenoid coil adapted to operate the solenoid foot and a track instru ment temporarily operated by the train passing out of the block for connecting said conductor with a rail and energizing the solenoid to lift the solenoid foot, substantially as described.

3. A signal system, having in combination with a trolley wire, a pair of ails and suitable source of electromotive force, of a wire leading from the trolley, a terminal thereon, a second terminal, a solenoid foot for bridging the terminals, a second wire connecting with the second terminal, signals in connection with said second wire, a post connected to the other end of said second Wire, a second post spaced from the first post, a movable connector bar for bridging the two posts, a third wire leading from the second post to one of said rails, said third wire being coiled at that part near the posts, a core bar surrounded by the coils, a pivotally supported armature attached to the connector bar adjacent the posts, a fourth wire, leading from said second post, a terminal thereon, an armature bar pivotally supported adjacent said terminal, a fifth wire leading from said armature bar and connecting with said second wire, a battery, a sixth wire connected with the battery and connecting with saidthird wire and having a coiled portion adjacent said last mentioned armature bar, a core bar surrounded by said coiled portion of the sixth wire, a seventh wire leading from the battery, a terminal on said seventh wire, a switch arm adjacent said last mentioned terminal, a rail adjacent the said two rails supported to swing. connections between the rail and said switch arm arranged to actuate the switch arm and close it on the terminal, when said rail is swung, a solenoid plunge' attached to the solenoid t'oot, an eighth wire connected with the first mentioned terminal and having a portion coiled about said solenoid plunger, a terminal attached to said eighth wire, a switch arm adjacent said terminal, a swinging bar supported near one of the rails of the track, and connections between said bar and the switch arm arranged to bring said switch arm into contact with the last mentioned terminal when the bar is temporarily swung, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD JENNINGS.

WVitncsses CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA C. SrnA'r'r.

Ccpies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

